Sample smartwatch 2016: what has changed since last year
Greetings to everyone on the iCover blog. Last summer, the topic “ How to choose a smart watch today and what happens with this market in general” came out . As you understand, during this time both the market and technologies have moved forward, therefore the recommendations from my previous post have lost their relevance. Let's try to figure out what is relevant now.
Firstly, an interesting fact happened: sales of wearable electronics surpassed sales of Swiss watch brands (here, however, there is a manipulation with statistics, because, apart from smart watches, we also include fitness bracelets in wearable electronics, and only Swiss watches are considered). However, the fact is interesting and remarkable. If we consider that wearable electronics become obsolete in 2-3 years, and the watches are designed for decades, it is obvious which industry will have complete order with money.
Secondly, as the past CES-2016 show showed, watch brands have woken up from hibernation and are trying to jump on the running board of the departing train. It looks peculiar.
')
For example, here Tag Heuer releases the Connected model. In fact, this is an ordinary watch on Android Wear , complemented by a beautiful case design, a beautiful strap and several signature dials. Ask for it $ 1500. In this case, Tag Heuer separately mentions that this is a watch of the lower price segment and, if desired, can be exchanged for a regular version.
Plus, at the last CES-2016, Casio showed its version of the smart watch, also on Android Wear. The watch is part of the G-Shock brand series and promises to be well protected from moisture (dive to 50 meters) and shock. Plus, the watch has a small chip in the form of a monochrome screen located on top of the main screen, and activated when the battery is dead.
With the stated specifications, the price of $ 500 does not seem too high. Attractive, however, too, so back to the usual functionality and price models.
So, as you know, this text will be of interest primarily to Android users. If you own an iPhone, then nothing has changed for you. Apple Watch has been and remains the best smart watch for iOS. Attempts to get into this market from other manufacturers, including from the Android camp, lead only to the appearance of castrated functionality. But in the camp of Android is where to roam.
Before turning to a direct review of the models, let us recall once more why smart watches are needed (for more information about the possibilities, you can read here in this material. There, however, not everything, but the most important is also with pictures):
According to the results of the past year, one can say that my personal favorite and the leader of the past years - the monochrome Pebble Steel - left the race. The buyer definitely votesruble dollar for color screens. Yes, they hold the battery for about a week. But, in general, the advantages at this end. Of the minuses - a black and white screen, the worst integration into the system, problems with localization, the problem of the trouble-free entry of "dummies", poor support for third-party applications. In general, the thing for an amateur, just to understand why they are needed. Additionally, it must be said that the system practically does not develop, gradually losing users. Yes, there were quite good Pebble Round Time , but a) they hold the battery worse than Steel; b) look like children; c) mediocre color screen. Again, Steel was my favorite, but time does not stand still.
Therefore, now, in my purely consumer and non-binding view, the best smartwatches are the second-generation Motorola Moto 360 . They are beautiful, suitable for any style of clothes, they are fast and convenient to charge (hi wireless charging). The first version was very good, and the second was even better. So this is a great modern watch.
Of the minuses - they still have a narrow black bar at the bottom of the screen. Why - not very clear. But it becomes some kind of feature. If this is annoying, there are excellent Huawei SmartWatch Classic , which, by the way, look more solid.
Second - they are expensive. 30..40 thousand rubles, depending on the version, in our extremely difficult time, it is very expensive. Not Tag Heuer, of course, but still.
What to do if you want cheaper? In my opinion, the most adequate in terms of price / functionality are Asus ZenWatch 2 worth about 15 thousand rubles. Why are they worse than the Moto 360 with a price two times lower?
In general, for you to understand, comparing watches on Android Wear is ungrateful. They are all similar and differ only in the type of housing, resolution and battery life (and then plus / minus a few hours). The situation is very similar to the one that has developed with the phones on Windows.
Therefore, since the filling is the same for all, the price depends more on the quality of the used materials of the case / strap and the brand's own assessment. In this situation, Asus managed to reduce the price due to the fact that they threw the heart rate monitor (with a hand on the heart, rarely needed) and wireless charging. As a result, you get great smart watches that look good, work well and are almost as good as the competition. In my opinion, a great way to try - do you need this beast for relatively less money. Among the shortcomings - the watches are quite large and because of the rectangular case they do not sit well on a small hand.
Comparison with moto 360. You see, because of the round shape, the watch from Motorola looks more organic with a comparable display size.
Fortunately, there is a supposedly "female version" with a smaller diagonal. But there and the battery and the characteristics are weaker.
As usual, there are firms that go their own way - Samsung . Having invested in the Tizen platform, they managed to bring it to the level of the Android competitor. Aside from the jokes, the Samsung Gear S2 Classic turned out to be more than decent. And it looks good (at the level of competitors) and works stably, and the interface is convenient and the size is excellent. And, most importantly, the battery holds two days or more. Plus, they added what has long been suggested: you can control the clock using the bezel - such a circle around the display. Of course, there is no such large choice of applications as on Wear (Volvo, to start there, to blink a light bulb in the hallway), but there is something to delve into. And you can get tired. All this suggests that the Samsung watch turned out to be more than decent. Yes, and are a bit more expensive than Asus, which is not bad.
Should I buy them? To be honest, I would wait and look for development. Here, after all, what a thing - Samsung is clearly targeting the premium segment, putting a lot of effort into developing its own platform. Moreover, the progress is so noticeable that in a year they managed to make it not worse, and in some places even more convenient than Android Wear. With all this further prospects are very vague. Still, Google Wear is behind Android Wear, and there are much more resources. So I, personally, would have looked from the side. But the clock, I will say it again, is very pleasant.
Therefore, a brief conclusion is as follows. If you have iOS, your choice is Apple Watch . Ponder whether it is worth buying a smart watch at all - your choice of Asus ZenWatch 2 . Want a modern full-featured watch with a beautiful design and a great screen - Moto 360 or Huawei Watch . Are a fan of Samsung and you do not care about all these versions of Android and other vanity - your choice of Samsung Gear S2 Classic . You are a geek who loves firmware and wants to control the life of the device, plus, you are infuriated by a small battery - stay on Peeble Steel . By the way, for fragile girls with phones on Android there are practically no options, because All smart watches, with the exception of Peeble Round Time , are very massive. Even the so-called "female" options.
Other articles and events on the iCover blog
Firstly, an interesting fact happened: sales of wearable electronics surpassed sales of Swiss watch brands (here, however, there is a manipulation with statistics, because, apart from smart watches, we also include fitness bracelets in wearable electronics, and only Swiss watches are considered). However, the fact is interesting and remarkable. If we consider that wearable electronics become obsolete in 2-3 years, and the watches are designed for decades, it is obvious which industry will have complete order with money.
Secondly, as the past CES-2016 show showed, watch brands have woken up from hibernation and are trying to jump on the running board of the departing train. It looks peculiar.
')
For example, here Tag Heuer releases the Connected model. In fact, this is an ordinary watch on Android Wear , complemented by a beautiful case design, a beautiful strap and several signature dials. Ask for it $ 1500. In this case, Tag Heuer separately mentions that this is a watch of the lower price segment and, if desired, can be exchanged for a regular version.
Plus, at the last CES-2016, Casio showed its version of the smart watch, also on Android Wear. The watch is part of the G-Shock brand series and promises to be well protected from moisture (dive to 50 meters) and shock. Plus, the watch has a small chip in the form of a monochrome screen located on top of the main screen, and activated when the battery is dead.
With the stated specifications, the price of $ 500 does not seem too high. Attractive, however, too, so back to the usual functionality and price models.
So, as you know, this text will be of interest primarily to Android users. If you own an iPhone, then nothing has changed for you. Apple Watch has been and remains the best smart watch for iOS. Attempts to get into this market from other manufacturers, including from the Android camp, lead only to the appearance of castrated functionality. But in the camp of Android is where to roam.
Before turning to a direct review of the models, let us recall once more why smart watches are needed (for more information about the possibilities, you can read here in this material. There, however, not everything, but the most important is also with pictures):
- Watch the time on the beautiful and easily replaceable dials. This, whatever marketers and application designers say, remains the most important thing. The watch is a piece and a pleasing and status one. Accordingly, attracting attention. Especially smart watches .
- See notifications, including messages on two-factor authentication. In addition to jokes, the presence of hours makes it comfortable and almost not disturbing.
- Unlock the phone simply by the presence of hours nearby (Bluetooth-identification).
- Save battery power on the phone due to less frequent switching.
- To be a daytime fitness tracker (daytime, because at night they are one fig on the charge).
- Player control
- Recently, integration with a smart home has been added (you can turn on a light bulb in the hallway) and a very smart car (you can start your favorite Volvo from your equally beloved Tag Heuer). But it is either exotic or very expensive.
According to the results of the past year, one can say that my personal favorite and the leader of the past years - the monochrome Pebble Steel - left the race. The buyer definitely votes
Therefore, now, in my purely consumer and non-binding view, the best smartwatches are the second-generation Motorola Moto 360 . They are beautiful, suitable for any style of clothes, they are fast and convenient to charge (hi wireless charging). The first version was very good, and the second was even better. So this is a great modern watch.
Of the minuses - they still have a narrow black bar at the bottom of the screen. Why - not very clear. But it becomes some kind of feature. If this is annoying, there are excellent Huawei SmartWatch Classic , which, by the way, look more solid.
Second - they are expensive. 30..40 thousand rubles, depending on the version, in our extremely difficult time, it is very expensive. Not Tag Heuer, of course, but still.
What to do if you want cheaper? In my opinion, the most adequate in terms of price / functionality are Asus ZenWatch 2 worth about 15 thousand rubles. Why are they worse than the Moto 360 with a price two times lower?
In general, for you to understand, comparing watches on Android Wear is ungrateful. They are all similar and differ only in the type of housing, resolution and battery life (and then plus / minus a few hours). The situation is very similar to the one that has developed with the phones on Windows.
Therefore, since the filling is the same for all, the price depends more on the quality of the used materials of the case / strap and the brand's own assessment. In this situation, Asus managed to reduce the price due to the fact that they threw the heart rate monitor (with a hand on the heart, rarely needed) and wireless charging. As a result, you get great smart watches that look good, work well and are almost as good as the competition. In my opinion, a great way to try - do you need this beast for relatively less money. Among the shortcomings - the watches are quite large and because of the rectangular case they do not sit well on a small hand.
Comparison with moto 360. You see, because of the round shape, the watch from Motorola looks more organic with a comparable display size.
Fortunately, there is a supposedly "female version" with a smaller diagonal. But there and the battery and the characteristics are weaker.
Step aside
As usual, there are firms that go their own way - Samsung . Having invested in the Tizen platform, they managed to bring it to the level of the Android competitor. Aside from the jokes, the Samsung Gear S2 Classic turned out to be more than decent. And it looks good (at the level of competitors) and works stably, and the interface is convenient and the size is excellent. And, most importantly, the battery holds two days or more. Plus, they added what has long been suggested: you can control the clock using the bezel - such a circle around the display. Of course, there is no such large choice of applications as on Wear (Volvo, to start there, to blink a light bulb in the hallway), but there is something to delve into. And you can get tired. All this suggests that the Samsung watch turned out to be more than decent. Yes, and are a bit more expensive than Asus, which is not bad.
Should I buy them? To be honest, I would wait and look for development. Here, after all, what a thing - Samsung is clearly targeting the premium segment, putting a lot of effort into developing its own platform. Moreover, the progress is so noticeable that in a year they managed to make it not worse, and in some places even more convenient than Android Wear. With all this further prospects are very vague. Still, Google Wear is behind Android Wear, and there are much more resources. So I, personally, would have looked from the side. But the clock, I will say it again, is very pleasant.
Therefore, a brief conclusion is as follows. If you have iOS, your choice is Apple Watch . Ponder whether it is worth buying a smart watch at all - your choice of Asus ZenWatch 2 . Want a modern full-featured watch with a beautiful design and a great screen - Moto 360 or Huawei Watch . Are a fan of Samsung and you do not care about all these versions of Android and other vanity - your choice of Samsung Gear S2 Classic . You are a geek who loves firmware and wants to control the life of the device, plus, you are infuriated by a small battery - stay on Peeble Steel . By the way, for fragile girls with phones on Android there are practically no options, because All smart watches, with the exception of Peeble Round Time , are very massive. Even the so-called "female" options.
Other articles and events on the iCover blog
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/391817/
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